Strawberry Prawn Salad

This one is light, refreshing, and tastes healthy.

It’s also delicious, and packed with protein.

Note: a little fresh Basil or cilantro would be a great addition to this salad.

gluten-free, paleo, pescatarian, low-carb

Strawberry Prawn Salad

200 – 250g prawns

Avocado

Baby spinach

1-2 Persian cucumbers

Slivered almonds

Garlic powder

Togarishi or other spicy mix if desired

1 pint strawberries

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp date molasses

3 Tbsp olive oil

Generous sprinkle black pepper

Generous sprinkle salt

Juice of 1 lime (about a Tablespoon)

To make the dressing, whiz together 4-5 strawberries, the olive oil, lime juice, balsamic, date molasses, olive oil, salt & pepper.

For the shrimp, season liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder & togarishi. Cook through.

For the salad, add the rest of the strawberries, chopped; the avocado, also chopped; and chopped cucumbers to a large bowl. Add the shrimp & dressing and toss.

To assemble, add halt the shrimp mix to a bed of spinach and garnish with slivered almonds.

Serves 2

Caesar Potato Salad

I’ve been craving a good Caesar dressing ever since DH and I had lunch at that Italian restaurant during Ramadan and he got a pretty great salad I was sad I couldn’t partake in (cheese).

So I thought about it, worried about coddling eggs, and came up with another plan. And than abandoned that plan (involving the 1 brand of good vegan Parmesan I’ve found because it has abandoned the country). This version is naturally dairy-free and is no less delicious than I wanted it to be. Serve hot or cold.

gluten-free, dairy-free, pescatarian(ish)

Caesar Potato Salad

10 – 12 small white potatoes, chopped

2 tsp anchovy paste

Juice 1/2 lemon

2 cloves garlic

3 egg yolks

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp fish sauce

2 tsp mustard powder

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1/3 c olive oil

2 tsp capers

2 spring onions or a small shallot, minced

Salt & fresh cracked black pepper

Add the potatoes to a pot with enough nicely salted water to cover. Boil 6-8 mins or until tender. Drain.

Add the rest of the ingredients (minus the capers and shallots or spring onions) to a blender and process, drizzling the olive oil in slowly. Taste and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Toss with the potatoes, capers and alliums and serve hot or cold.

Serves 4 – 6

Chili Garlic Cucumber Salad

So good. I’m thrilled chili garlic sauce is having a moment – I’d completely forgotten about how damn delicious it makes pretty much everything.

This is a nice and light salad – perfect for a quick lunch, or you can beef it up with orzo or soba for a really nice company side. If you need it up, I’d double the dressing.

gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan

Chili Garlic Cucumber Salad

1.5 Tbsp chili garlic crisp sauce

1 Tbsp sushi vinegar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp lime juice

Salt & pepper

3 small Persian cucumbers, chopped

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

150 g small sweet peppers, cut into rings

1/4 c red onion, cut into thin half-moon slices

4 Tbsp mixed herbs (I used dill, lemon thyme and mint), minced

2 Tbsp sushi ginger, chopped

Optional mix-in: rotisserie chicken or other protein

Mix all liquids together in a large bowl to form a dressing. Toss in all the veggies & ginger. Mix in your protein if desired.

Serves 2

Miso Peach Salad

This is a nice little salad – a little salty, some nice umami and a punch of heat.

gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan

Miso Peach Salad

1 tsp white miso

2 Tbsp balsamic glaze

3 Tbsp olive oil

Dash lime juice

Dash of heat – I’ve been using chili garlic sauce from Indifoods and adding more to each serving before eating

Salt & pepper

3 small cucumbers, chopped

500g mixed greens

1 kohlrabi, peeled and julienned

3 peaches, chopped

20 cherry tomatoes, halved

Optional toppers: tikka spiced chicken, crunchy seed mix, flaky salt & cracked pepper

In a big bowl, whisk the miso, balsamic, oil, lime juice & heat to form a dressing.

Toss the rest of the ingredients in the dressing and serve with optional toppers.

Serves 3 as a big salad

Steak Salad with Spicy Mango Dressing

This is a fantastic lunch – or dinner – salad. It’s quick to make, bright and fresh, and with a hit of protein.

gluten-free, paleo

Steak Salad with Spicy Mango Dressing

Dressing:

1 mango

1 thumb ginger

4 cloves garlic

3 Tbsp orange juice

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 Tbsp soy sauce

Sprinkle red chili flakes

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp hot & sweet sauce from Indifoods

Juice of 2 limes

Salt & pepper

Salad:

Leftover cooked steak

~ 1/2 c radish, sliced thin

3 small cucumber, sliced into thin half moons

1/3 – 1/2 c frozen peas, thawed

500g baby spinach

10-20 cherry tomatoes, halved

Assemble all dressing ingredients in a blender. Whiz to combine.

In a large bowl, assemble all salad ingredients and toss.

Toss with dressing and serve – I top with my favorite seedy salad topper mix.

Serves 3-ish if you’re having a big lunch salad

Heenat Salad

This is a blind stab at recreating the show-stopping salad served at Heenat Salma Farm last month during the yoga/Pilates day retreat I went to.

It’s not perfect – by far – and I meant to “fix” the issues the original had (too sweet dressing – needed acid and/or heat), but I’m not sure this hit the mark. It’s been like a month since I’ve tasted the original, and all those ingredients were organic farm fresh – so I did what I could.

This rendition is fantastic. Not the same as the other, but definitely craveable.

gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan

Heenat Salad

2 nectarines, chopped

8 dates, seeded and chopped

200g feta (I used vegan feta from Sheese), cubed

~2c kale, chopped

~4c red lettuce, chopped

~1/4c red onion, sliced into wafer thin moons

~1/2c walnuts, chopped

~1/2c (roughly 20) black olives, chopped

~1/4c cilantro, chopped

Dressing:

3Tbsp date syrup

2tsp cardamom (ground)

3Tbsp lime juice

6Tbsp olive oil

1tsp smoked paprika

Salt & pepper

Whisk dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add all the salad ingredients (minus the feta) and massage in. Add the feta, generous salt & pepper and toss to combine.

Serves 4

Chili Lime Couscous Salad

Another great batch cook lunch salad. This one is great with a hand full of shredded rotisserie chicken as the protein.

vegetarian, vegan

Chili Lime Couscous Salad

1 cup Israeli couscous

1.5 cups water or stock

Olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced into thin moons

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch broccolini, chopped

1 small bell pepper, chopped

2 cups shredded red cabbage

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Juice & zest of 2 limes

1 large scallion, sliced into thin rings

Tajin, salt & pepper

Slice the onions into thin moons. Sauté in a glug of oil over medium/medium-high heat 10-15 minutes or until softened and beginning to color.

Add the garlic & couscous and sauté 1-2 minutes.

Add the water or stock and simmer 10 minutes.

Add the broccolini and half the lime zest and sauté an additional 5 minutes or until the broccolini & couscous are both cooked to your liking.

Add all the chopped veggies and the other half of the zest to a large bowl. Toss with the lime juice and a good glug or two of olive oil.

Add the couscous when done and toss.

Sprinkle generously with Tajin, salt & pepper, toss. Taste for seasoning, adjust & toss again.

Serve with your protein of choice.

Makes 5 – 6 servings

Fish Taco Bowls

Another great grab-n-go lunch option. These fish taco bowls are pretty great.

gluten-free, pescatarian

Fish Taco Bowls

500g fresh fish (I used King Fish, but any firm fillet will do)

Couple Tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch

Your favorite spicy seasoning

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

Juice of 1 lime

1 avocado, chopped

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

3 cups red cabbage, shredded

1/2 small red onion, cut into thin half moons

Small bell pepper, diced

100 grams feta (my favorite is Sheeze or Veg Life)

Good glug olive oil

Tajin

Salt & pepper

Preheat your air fryer to 400 for 3 mins. Skin, de-bone and cut the fish into bite-sized cubes.

Toss with a liberal amount spicy seasoning and cornstarch. Blast with a couple hits spray oil and air fry 7 – 10 mins, tossing a couple times and blasting with more oil.

While the fish nuggets are working, prep all the veggies and add to a large bowl. Add a couple glugs olive oil, the lime juice and liberal shakes of Tajin, salt and pepper.

Toss to combine and taste for seasoning. I ended up repeating the seasoning process 3x.

To serve, layer the salad in a bowl over some leftover rice or grains and add a hand full of the fish nuggets.

Makes 5 – 6 servings, depending on how much fish you have per serving

Grab-N-Go Tuna Pasta Salad

This is a great salad to make once and have ready to grab & go for lunch. Perfect for busy weeks.

gluten-free, pescatarian

Grab-N-Go Tuna Pasta Salad

1/2 box or bag your favorite pasta (mine is gluten-free protein chickpea pasta)

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 medium cucumber, diced

1 medium bell pepper, diced

1 can tuna, drained (my favorite is chili oil packed tuna)

100g feta, cubed (my favorite is from Sheeze or Veg Life)

1 scallion, minced

2 Tbsp red onion, minced

Olive oil

3 Tbsp balsamic glaze

1 tsp lemon juice

Garlic powder

Black pepper

Finishing salt

Red pepper flakes

Make the pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, prep all the veggies and add to a large bowl.

Add the tuna and the pasta (drained) when that is done.

Add generous sprinkles of all spices, the lemon juice, a glug or two of olive oil and the cheese. Toss to combine, taste for seasoning, portion and serve.

Makes 5 – 6 servings

Smoky Honey Chicken Salad Sandwich

Yep – another chicken salad sandwich. I was in love with the bread I bought this week and had a bunch of leftover chicken.

gluten-free

Smoky Honey Chicken Salad Sandwich

2 small leftover chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken

1 Tbsp chili powder

2 Tbsp honey

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp tahini

1 chopped yellow pepper

1 c chopped snow peas

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Your favorite wrap for sandwiches

In a large bowl, whisk together the chili powder, honey, cinnamon, vinegar, mustard, lemon juice and tahini to make a dressing.

Chop the chicken, pepper and snow peas and add to the bowl. Thinly slice the scallions and add. Toss well to combine and serve in a wrap.

Makes 2-ish large wraps